GENERAL  SURVEY 


OF  THE 

ItlSSIONS  OP  THE  MERICAN  BOARD  OP  COMMISSIONERS  POR 

POREIGN  MISSIONS. 


PliESENTED  AT  THE  ANNUAL  MEETING  AT  PITTSBURGH,  OCTOBER  5,  1869. 


The  past  year  has  been  rather  one  of  sustained  general  interest, 
and  of  preparation  for  the  future  ;  with  enough  of  trial  and  embar¬ 
rassment  at  certain  points  to  mark  the  church  militant,  and  to  lead  to 
a  renewed  sense  of  dependence  upon  the’  Divine  blessing,  and  with 
enough  of  success  to  cheer  the  heart  and  to  prompt  to  new  and 
greater  efforts  to  secure  the  final  victory. 

One  ordained  missionary,  and  two  female  assistant  missionaries, 
have  been  called  to  rest  from  their  labors  ;  the  veteran  Dr.  King,  so 
long  the  honored  representative  of  our  work  in  Greece,  Mrs.  Saun¬ 
ders,  who  had  but  recently  returned  to  Ceylon,  in  the  hope  of  years  of 
active  labor  for  the  women  of  that  country,  and  Mrs.  Riggs,  after 
many  years  of  rare  self-sacrificing  devotion  to  the  social  and  religious 
welfare  of  the  Indian  tribes  of  the  northwest.  Seven  ordained 
missionaries  have  ceased  to  be  connected  with  the  Board.  Nine 
missionaries  and  three  single  ladies  have  come  home  for  rest  and  the 
recovery  of  health,  most  of  whom  expect  to  return  to  the  missionary 
work.  Seven  returned  missionaries,  who  were  with  us  a  year  ago, 
have  gone  back  to  their  several  fields  of  labor,  and  forty-three  new 
laborers  have  entered  upon  the  work, — including  thirteen  ordained 
missionaries,  two  missionary  physicians,  one  lay  assistant,  and  eleven 
single  ladies.  They  were  distributed  as  follows: — to  Western  Tur¬ 
key,  10  ;  Central  Turkey,  2  ;  Eastern  Turkey,  5;  Syria,  4  ;  Mahratta 
mission,  2  ;  Madura,  3  ;  Ceylon,  3  ;  Foochow,  1  ;  North  China,  10  ; 
Seneca  Indians,  2  ;  Dakota  Indians,  1.  After  deducting  from  the 
list  the  names  of  those  now  at  home  who  are  not  expected  to  return, 
and  of  one  of  the  ladies,  recently  married,  there  remain  352  male 
and  female  missionaries  connected  with  the  Board,  of  whom  145  are 
ordained  missionaries,  7  missionary  physicians,  and  44  unmarried 
females, — a  net  gain  in  all  of  20  laborers,  as  compared  with  last  year. 


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■WOMAN’S  BOARD  OF  MISSIONS. 

The  support  of  eighteen  of  the  female  missionaries  has  been  assum¬ 
ed  by  the  Woman’s  Board  of  Missions;  of  thirteen  by  the  Board 
located  at  Boston,  and  five  by  the  Board  for  the  Interior,  located  at 
Chicago.  The  success  of  this  effort  on  the  part  of  the  Christian  women 
of  our  churches  is  one  of  the  most  encouraging  events  of  the  year. 
The  moral  support  they  give  their  sisters  on  missionary  ground  by 
their  lively  sympathy  and  prayer,  is  of  the  utmost  value,  and  most 
fully  appreciated.  Many  a  lonely  hour  is  cheered,  and  many  a  trial 
more  bravely  met,  by  the  assurance  that  they  are  remembered  in  praying 
circles  of  their  sex  at  home.  The  best  Christian  feeling  finds  expres¬ 
sion  in  the  remark,  Somebody’s  heart  in  this  far  off  laud  was  very 
warm  because  of  the  assurance  that  it  was  specially  prayed  for  in 
other  places  than  in  our  little  chapel  at  Mardin.” 

AFRICA. 

Mr.  Walker  remains  alone  in  the  Gaboon^  as  Mr.  Bushnell  has 
again  been  obliged  to  seek  the  recovery  of  health  and  vigor  in  a  less 
trying  climate.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  these  brethren 
have  struggled  on  against  every  odds, — a  debilitating  climate,  the 
vices  without  the  virtues  of  European  traders,  the  intrigues  of  Roman¬ 
ists,  added  to  all  the  corruptions  and  deceit  of  a  most  debasing  super¬ 
stition.  They  are  the  forlorn  hope  of  the  missionary  service,  and  if 
their  hearts  should  ever  fail  them,  it  will  not  be  till  the  last  resource 
of  hope  has  been  exhausted. 

The  Zulu  mission  has  not  escaped  its  trials.  Tendencies  to  revert 
to  the  old  usages  of  heathenism,  and  to  a  low  religious  life,  on  the 
part  of  some  of  the  professed  followers  of  Christ,  have  excited  the 
fears  of  the  missionaries.  On  the  other  hand,  the  success  of  the 
training  school,  in  charge  of  Mr.  Ireland,  gives  promise  at  no  distant 
day  of  an  efficient  corps  of  native  helpers  ;  movements  are  in  pro¬ 
gress  to  develop  a  livelier  sense  of  personal  responsibility  on  the  part 
of  the  native  Christians  ;  Mrs.  Lloyd  continues  with  unabated  zeal 
in  her  self-denying  labors  ;  Mrs.  Edwards  rejoices  in  tokens  of  special 
favor  on  her  boarding  school  for  girls  ;  Umbyana  more  than  fulfills 
the  expectations  of  the  mission  by  the ‘results  of  his  labors  among 
his  countrymen  ;  additions  to  the  churches  show  that  missionary  effort 
is  not  without  return  ;  and  great  numbers  are  becoming  intellectually 
familiar  with  the  truths  of  the  gospel,  waiting  now  for  the  Holy  Spirit 
to  quicken  them  into  life. 


GREECE. 

For  many  years  Dr.  King  had  been  known  as  “  the  mission  to 
Greece.”  The  work  developed  by  him  has  gradually  been  taken  up 
by  his  pupils,  and  with  them  has  passed  under  the  care  of  the  Ameri- 


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can  and  Foreign  Christian  Union.  The  office  of  Dr.  King  was  pre¬ 
eminently  that  of  a  witness  to  the  truth — to  the  simplicity  of  the 
gospel  as  opposed  to  a  cumbrous  ritual  ;  to  the  Word  of  God  as 
0}tposed  to  the  traditions  of  men  ;  and  to  the  rights  of  conscience  as 
opposed  to  ecclesiastical  oppression.  His  witness  was  not  in  vain, 
lie  was  permitted  to  see  the  Scriptures  in  the  hands  of  the  people  ; 
to  receive  courtesies  from  men  in  authority  whose  predecessors  had 
loaded  him  with  every  indignity,  and  at  last  to  feel  that  the  way  was 
opened  for  the  free  proclamation  of  the  gospel  by  men  trained  up 
under  his  care. 

No  missionary  of  the  Board  has  been  more  widely  known,  and  few 
have  surpassed  him  in  varied  learning,  and  in  the  amount  of  literary 
labor  in  many  languages.  Time  only  can  rev’eal  the  influence  of 
Jonas  King  in  preparing  the  way  for  the  establishment  of  a  purer 
faith  in  that  classic  land. 

THE  ARMENIAN  MISSIONS. 

The  three  Armenian  missions  embrace  a  territory  more  than  half 
as  large  as  that  portion  of  the  United  States  east  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  It  includes  a  portion  of  European  Turkey  on  the  west,  the 
whole  of  Asia  Minor,  and  extends  to  Persia  on  the  east,  and  Syria 
and  Arabia  on  the  south.  The  evangelization  of  this  region  has  been 
left  almost  exclusively  to  the  American  Board,  and  is  carried  ou  by 
forty-six  missionaries,  residing  at  twenty-one  principal  stations,  and 
by  native  preachers  and  pastors  at  one  hundred  and  seventy  out-sta¬ 
tions.  Twenty  unmarried  ladies  are  engaged  in  special  labors  in 
behalf  of  their  sex.  Sixty-five  churches  have  been  gathered — now 
under  the  care  of  forty-one  native  pastors,  wholly  or  in  part  sup¬ 
ported  by  their  own  people.  To  these  churches  three  hundred  new 
members  were  added  on  profession  of  their  faith  the  past  year, 
making  an  aggregate  membership  of  about  three  thousand.  Other 
professed  believers  will  be  organized  into  churches  as  soon  as-  pastors 
can  be  set  over  them  and  the  people  are  prepared  for  the  duties  and 
responsibilities  of  such  a  relation.  The  average  attendance  upon 
public  worship  on  the  Sabbath  is  about  eleven  thousand,  and  upon 
Sabbath  school  instruction,  eight  thousand  ;  while  not  far  from  six 
thousand  youth  are  to  be  found  in  the  various  schools  and  seminaries 
under  the  care  of  the  missionaries.  The  contributions  to  various 
Christian  objects  amounted  to  over  $15,000  in  gold, — an  advance  of 
$2,000  upon  former  years,  and  an  average  of  over  five  dollars  to 
each  church  member.  Progress  is  steadily  making,  in  the  larger  part 
of  the  field,  in  the  direction  of  self-support  and  independence.  The 
local  churches  and  the  different  ecclesiastical  bodies  which  they  have 
organized,  are  conducting  their  affairs  with  much  wisdom  and  good 
judgment,  and  as  one  church  after  another  becomes  independent,  the 


4 


4 


missionaries  are  enabled  to  turn  their  efforts  to  “  the  regions  beyond.” 
Some  of  the  native  churclies,  especially  in  the  Central  and  Eastern 
missions,  have  been  very  active  in  missionary  labors,  and  the  Ilarpoot 
Evangelical  Union  has  a  mission  of  its  own,  carrying  on  the  work  of 
evangelization  at  six  different  points  in  the  mountain  wilds  of 
Koordistan. 

There  has,  however,  been  less  aggressive  work  than  usual  the  past 
year,  as  several  of  the  older  missionaries  had  been  obliged  to  visit 
this  country  for  rest,  and  nearly  one  half  of  the  force  in  the  field 
consisted  of  new  laborers,  who  had  not  had  time  to  acquire  the 
language.  Thus  three  out  of  four  stations  in  the  Eastern  mission 
were  for  a  time  left  without  a  missionary,  and  the  burden  of  the 
work  fell  almost  wholly  upon  three  men  ;  and  in  the  Central,  upon 
five.  While  old  missionaries  have  been  returning,  new  missionaries 
arriving,  old  stations  resumed  or  strengthened,  and  new  plans  form¬ 
ing,  the  year  has  been  largely  one  of  preparation. 

Yet,  without  anything  that  might  be  called  a  general  revival,  with 
the  exception  of  Constantinople  and  its  neighborhood  there  has  been 
a  healthful  giowth  in  the  Christian  communities.  Eighteen  new  out- 
stations  have  been  taken,  and  thirty-six  out  of  the  forty-three  churches 
in  the  Central  and  Eastern  missions,  and  nine  in  the  Western,  have 
reported  additions  to  their  membership,  on  profession  of  faith.  The 
largest  number  at  any  one  place  was  in  Marash,  where  sixty-nine  new 
members  were  added  to  two  churches. 

At  Constantinople,  the  missionaries  have  been  greatly  tried  by  the 
conduct  of  a  portion  of  the  Protestant  community.  The  motives  and 
conduct  of  the  missionaries  in  endeavoring  to  raise  them  to  indepen¬ 
dence  and  to  the  support  of  their  own  institutions,  at  the  earliest 
practical  moment,  have  not  been  properly  appreciated,  and  secret  and 
open  enemies  of  the  truth  have  improved  the  occasion  to  embarrass 
our  work.  The  experience  of  the  early  churches,  as  recorded  in  the 
Acts  and  in  the  Epistles  of  the  New  Testament,  finds  renewed  and 
painful  illustration  at  Constantinople.  Happily  the  dilRculties  referred 
to  are  thus  far  almost  wholly  confined  to  the  Capital  and  its  imme¬ 
diate  neighborhood.  A  letter  published  in  the  August  number  of  the 
Missioyiary  Herald^  from  the  Evangelical  church  of  Marsovau  to  the 
American  Board,  and  the  cordial  welcome  that  has  awaited  missionaries 
returning  to  their  fields,  and  cheered  the  hearts  of  those  going  out  for 
the  first  time,  attest  the  love  and  esteem  generally  felt,  and  promise 
a  hearty  co-operation. 

The  ditferent  seminaries  have  had  an  important  share  in  the  work 
of  preparation.  The  three  theological  schools, — at  Marsovan,  Mar¬ 
ash  and  Harpoot, — have  had  over  a  hundred  young  men  in  training 
for  the  ministry,  of  whom  thirty  have  finished  their  studies  and  been 
called  at  once  to  places  of  influence.  The  utmost  care  has  been 


taken,  while  grounding  these  young  men  in  the  first  principles  of 
knowledge,  and  especially  of  the  Scriptures,  to  train  them  up  to  habits 
of  self  denial  and  sacrifice  for  Christ,  that  they  may  be  willing  and 
glad  to  labor  as  pastors  and  teachers  of  their  own  people,  and  for  such 
compensation  as  they  may  be  able  to  give.  ^ 

The  four  female  seminaries — at  Eski  Zaghra,  Marsovan,  Aintab, 
and  Ilarpoot — and  the  high  school  for  girls  at  Marash,  have  been 
educating  a  still  larger  number  of  girls  and  women,  some  of  them  the 
wives  of  the  young  men  in  the  theological  schools.  Educated  Chris¬ 
tian  women  are  thus  being  prepared  to  illustrate,  in  many  a  village 
and  city,  the  value  of  the  gospel  to  woman,  and  to  labor  for  the  social 
and  moral  elevation  of  their  sex. 

The  vacations  have  been  employed  by  the  pupils  in  the  different 
seminaries  to  a  large  extent  in  active  labors,  often  in  their  native 
villages,  and  with  the  happiest  results. 

A  new  theological  seminary,  with  its  attendant  female  boarding 
school,  will  soon  be  opened  at  Mardin,  for  the  Arabic-speaking  peo¬ 
ples  of  Mesopotamia. 

More  than  five  millions  of  pages  of  a  Christian  literature,  in  four 
different  languages,  have  been  issued  from  the  press  under  the  super¬ 
vision  of  Dr.  Bliss.  Drs.  Pratt  and  Riggs,  with  the  aid  of  a  native 
pastor  from  Marash,  and  occasional  assistance  of  Mr.  Herrick,  are 
engaged  upon  the  great  work  of  securing  a  correct  and  uniform 
translation  of  the  Scriptures  into  three  of  the  languages  of  the  Turkish 
Empire.  The  Bible  and  a  Christian  literature  in  the  native  languages 
are  deemed  essential  to  the  success  and  permanence  of  evangelical 
efforts. 

The  sleepless  vigilance  of  the  government  and  the  consequent  timi¬ 
dity  of  inquirers  have  stood  in  the  way  of  much  effort  in  behalf  of  the 
Moslem  population.  Large  editions  of  certain  religious  tracts  have 
been  sold,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  not  without  some  result  in  preparing 
the  way  for  future  labors. 

More  vigorous  efforts  are  making  to  press  the  claims  of  the  gospel 
upon  the  Bulgarians.  Through  the  persistent  efforts  of  Messrs.  Clarke 
and  Haskell,  during  the  past  ten  years,  eight  thousand  volumes  of  the 
Scriptures,  seven  thousand  other  religious  books,  and  thirty-one  thou¬ 
sand  tracts  have  been  put  in  circulation  from  the  single  station  of 
Phillippopolis,  and  a  spirit  of  inquiry  awakened  in  the  surrounding 
villages. 

SYRIA. 

The  event  of  the  year  has  been  the  organization  of  the  Seminary 
for  the  training  of  a  native  ministry.  With  three  such  men  as  Cal¬ 
houn,  Henry  Jessup,  and  Eddy,  in  the  very  midst  of  Bible  scenes, 
little  can  be  wanting  to  secure  a  well  trained  ministry  for  the  future 


G 


Arab  church.  As  a  fitting  complement,  tlie  female  seminary  at 
Beirut  has  passed  under  the  care  of  Misses  Everett  and  Carruth,  who, 
almost  upon  their  first  arrival  in  the  country,  assumed,  with  marked 
success,  the  charge  of  this  large  and  flourisliiug  institution.  The 
,  female  school  at  Sidon  has  also  been  gaining  in  numbers  and  influence. 
Add  to  these  institutions  the  Syrian  College  already  numbering  nearly 
seventy  pupils,  and  the  Christian  literature  issued  under  the  super¬ 
vision  of  Dr.  Van  Dyck,  and  we  may  find  reason  for  the  words  of 
cheer  in  the  last  general  letter  of  the  mission, — “  There  has  never 
been  a  brighter  day  in  the  history  of  the  Syria  mission,  than  the 
present.  The  Bible  is  printed  in  various  attractive  editions  ;  the 
power  of  priestly  tyranny  is  in  a  great  degree  broken  ;  thousands  of 
the  people  have  heard  the  gospel  message  ;  deputations  have  come 
quite  recently  from  different  villages,  asking  for  preachers  and  teach¬ 
ers  ;  towns  and  villages  long  sealed  against  us  are  now  open  and 
asking  for  missionary  labor  ;  baptisms  have  begun  to  take  place 
among  the  Druzes  ;  even  the  Mohammedans  are  sending  their  children 
to  our  schools  ;  several  Christian  churches  have  been  organized,  and 
the  mission  has  now  set  apart  three  of  its  members  to  the  work  of 
training  a  native  ministry  ;  while  in  the  department  of  higher  educa¬ 
tion,  the  college  and  female  seminary  in  Beirut  will  accomplish  all 
that  Syria  will  need  for  many  years  to  come.” 


PERSIA. 

The  Nestorian  mission  feels  the  loss  of  the  trusted  associates  who 
have  been  obliged  to  return  to  this  country, — of  Miss  Cochran,  who 
had  so  recently  returned  to  the  land  of  her  birth  ;  of  Miss  Rice,  the 
associate  and  then  the  fit  successor  of  Miss  h'iske,  of  Mrs.  Rhea, 
now  that  her  duties  to  her  children  have  compelled  her  to  give  up 
her  valuable  labors  in  behalf  of  the  women  of  Persia ;  and  of  Dr. 
Perkins,  whose  long  and  noble  services  have  fully  earned  for  him  the 
familiar  title,  “  the  venerable.” 

Dr.  Perkins  has  seen  a  great  work  accomplished,  as  the  result  of 
missionary  toil,  since  he  first  entered  that  field.  From  85  centres, 
and  to  congregations  averaging  nearly  2,400  the  past  year,  the  gospel 
is  now  proclaimed  by  more  than  a  hundred  native  helpers,  of  whom 
fifty-seven  are  licensed  preachers.  More  than  nine  hundred  persons 
have  professed  their  faith  in  Christ ;  of  whom  seven  hundred  and 
twenty-two  are  now  connected  with  the  evangelical  communion.  The 
Seminaries  have  educated  hundreds  of  youth,  whose  influence  is  seen 
in  the  general  social  and  moral  elevation  of  the  people.  More  than  a 
thousand  pupils  are  to  be  found  in  the  common  schools  ;  the  press  is  a 
power  in  the  land,  from  which  half  a  million  pages  (532,400)  were 
thrown  oflf  the  past  year. 


7 


Fow  if  any  among  tlie  Nestorians  liave  failed  to  hear  the  gospel 
message  ;  and  the  mission  justly  feels  that  the  time  has  come  to 
follow  up  with  more  earnestness  the  effort  to  evangelize  other  races 
in  that  region.  IMuch  interest  in  the  truth  is  shown  by  some  of  the 
Moslems,  and  Mr.  Labaree  has  already  a  class  of  seven  young  men  in 
training  to  labor  among  tlie  Armenians  scattered  throughout  Persia. 
In  view  of  this  new  direction  of  labor,  the  mission  will  hereafter  be 
known  as  “  the  mission  to  Persia.” 

INDIA. 

The  Mahratta  Mission  is  illustrating  what  a  few  brave  men  can  do 
against  overwhelming  odds.  Tlie  situation  is  painful  in  the  extreme 
— five  men  attempting  tlie  work  of  fifteen.  Many  things  lie  along 
that  1  would  fain  do  promptly,”  writes  Bissell,  weary  and  worn,  •‘’and 
when  I  cannot,  my  heart  looks  up  and  says— ‘  Lord,  thou  knovvest  I 
would  gladly  do  more  if  1  could  ;  make  me  strong.’”  The  time  has 
come  for  greater  effort  in  India,  not  for  less.  The  old  systems  of 
error  and  superstition  cannot  endure  the  flood  of  light  that  is  pouring 
in  upon  them  from  every  quarter.  Railways,  schools,  the  press,  the 
new  ideas  on  a  thousand  subjects  of  common  life  are  too  much  even 
for  the  Hindoos.  Our  brethren  in  the  field  see  and  feel  this,  and  with 
earnest  entreaty  beg  for  help  to  move  on  the  enemy’s  works. 

The  twenty-three  native  churches  in  the  Mahratta  mission  give 
pleasing  evidence  of  increased  devotion  to  the  cause  of  Christ,  and 
are  disposed  to  accept  greater  responsibility  for  the  evangelization  of 
their  countrymen.  Some  of  the  native  pastors  and  helpers  evince  a 
spirit  of  true,  self-sacrificing  consecration.  As  the  result  in  part, 
doubtless,  a  larger  number  of  accessions  to  the  churches  are  reported 
than  for  several  years  before.  Opportunities  for  labor  are  multiplying 
among  the  women,  till  now  an  application  comes  to  the  Woman’s 
Board  of  Missions  for  aid  in  the  support  of  ten  native  Bible  women. 

The  most  striking  feature  in  the  history  of  the  Madara  Mission  the 
past  year  has  been  the  waking  up  of  the  native  Christians  to  the  duty 
of  doing  something  more  to  help  themselves.  The  sermon  of  “John 
Concordance,*'’  the  blind  preacher  of  the  Eastern  Turkey  Mission,  has 
been  preached  with  great  power  at  most  of  the  mission  stations,  and 
repeated  for  substance  by  the  native  preachers  throughout  the  villages. 
The  results  of  the  tithe  system  are  not  great  in  amount,  because  of 
the  poverty  of  the  people,  but  they  exhibit,  no  less,  a  new  interest  in 
the  work.  Mr.  Chester  does  not  hesitate  to  say  of  his  people,  “  I 
have  been  a  pastor  in  America,  and  I  know  something  of  the  working 
of  the  principal  churches  in  New  York  City,  and  I  boldly  hold  up  the 
Dindigul  church,  far  away  in  this  dark  heathen  land,  as  an  example 
of  liberality  to  them.” 


8 


Heathenism  dies  hard  in  Ceylon.  Despite  tlie  cultivation  of  this 
limited  field  for  so  many  years,  through  which  the  gospel  has  been 
proclaimed  in  almost  every  village,  and  brought  to  the  attention, 
probably,  of  every  adult,  there  are  still,  to  a  population  of  only 
180.000,  seventy-seven  of  the  larger  class  of  heathen  temples,  with 
their  annual  festivals  attended  by  crowds  of  people,  and  maintained 
M'itli  great  display  and  at  great  expense.  Add  to  these  483  smaller 
temples,  and  many  trees  considered  the  abodes  of  deities  or  evil  spirits, 
and  we  may  have  some  idea  of  the  power  which  heathenism  still 
possesses  in  this  land.  Yet  ten  churches  of  Christ,  and  more  lhau  a 
hundred  native  laborers,  cooperate  with  the  missionaries  in  diffusing 
the  light  of  the  gospel.  Three  hundred  and  twenty-six  out  of  four 
hundred  graduates  of  the  female  boarding  school  at  Oodooville,  estab¬ 
lished  in  1824,  have  either  died  in  the  faith  or  are  now  living  in  good 
standing  as  members  of  the  church  of  Christ.  Miss  Townsend,  in 
addition  to  her  school  duties  at  Ooduopitty,  finds  ready  access  to  the 
women  of  the  villages  ;  and  Miss  Webster,  almost  on  her  first  arrival 
in  the  field,  begun  visitiug  from  house  to  house,  telling  the  story  of 
Christ  to  eager  listeners.  In  education  and  social  life  the  people  have 
made  great  progress.  They  have  enjoyed  the  light  without  accepting 
the  life  of  the  gospel.  Here,  too,  the  native  Christians  are  coming  to 
realize  their  personal  duty  in  the  work  of  evangelization.  “  Ten 
years  ago,”  write  the  missionaries,  “  it  was  difficult  for  our  Christians 
to  realize  that  natives  were  needed  as  pastors  of  the  churches.  The 
missionary  must  preach,  baptize  and  marry  their  children,  visit  their 
sick,  bury  their  dead,  and  administer  the  ordinances  of  the  gospel. 
Kovv,  the  principle  that  the  native  should  be  pastor  is  generally 
admitted  and  cordially  received  by  our  most  influential  Christians. 
One  church  has  assumed  the  full  support  of  its  pastor,  the  two  others 
under  the  pastoral  care  of  natives  are  rising  in  their  contributions, 
and  those  without  native  pastors  are  taking  a  part  of  the  support  of 
those  who  statedly  preach  to  them.  The  care  of  church  edifices  aud 
of  the  church  poor  is  generally  assumed  by  the  Christians.”  “  The 
influences  of  the  Christian  family,  the  church,  the  Bible,  aud  religious 
books  and  tracts  in  the  vernacular,  have  been  wmrking.  The  Sabbath, 
with  its  ordinances  of  grace,  meetings  among  the  people  in  which  the 
doctrines  of  the  Christian  religion  are  discussed,  systematically  held 
for  years,  Christian  schools,  with  daily  recitations  in  the  Scriptures 
and  in  the  catechisms,  have  been  steadily  giving  to  the  people  a 
knowledge  of  the  great  salvation.  Now,  as  never  before,  Christian 
centres,  the  baptized  children  of  the  church,  nominal  Christians,  those 
who  have  been  educated  in  our  schools,  and  the  relatives  of  our 
church-members,  seem  prepared  for  the  descent  of  the  Spirit.  The 
churches  greatly  need,  and  are  in  a  measure  prepared  for,  the  fullness 
of  His  blessing.” 


9 


CHINA. 

Eleven  new  laborers  have  gone  ont  to  China  during  the  year,  and 
six  more  expect  to  follow  in  a  few  months.  Tims  the  pledge  at  the 
Annual  Meeting  of  the  Board  at  Buffalo  is  in  part  fulfilled  It  is  pro¬ 
posed  to  establish  two  new  stations  in  North  China, and  one  in  the  south. 

Six  churches  have  been  gathered  in  the  Foochow  mission,  with  a 
membership  of  one  hundred  and  four  ;  five  young  men  have  finished 
their  course  in  the  training-school,  and  are  desiring  to  preach  Christ 
to  their  countrymen  ;  and  seven  other  young  men,  who  give  evidence 
of  Christian  character,  have  just  been  received  for  instruction.  Thus, 
while  sending  out  new  laborers  from  this  country,  every  effort  is 
made  to  utilize  home  material,  and  to  raise  up  a  native  ministry. 
The  women  seem  specially  open  to  religious  influence,  and  welcome 
the  efforts  of  the  missionary  ladies  to  acquaint  them  with  the  truth. 

In  Noi'th  China,  the  work  is  as  yet  largely  one  of  preparation, 
though  special  interest  has  been  shown  at  Tungchow  and  in  some  of 
the  rural  districts.  Mr.  Blodget  has  given  much  of  his  time  to  the 
translation  of  the  New  Testament  into  the  Mandarin  colloquial, 
spoken  by  half  the  population  of  the  empire.  This  will  soon  be  put 
to  press.  Miss  Porter,  in  successful  charge  of  the  Bridgman  school 
for  girls  at  Peking,  will  soon  welcome  a  much  needed  associate,  and 
the  mission  will  be  strengthened  and  encouraged  by  the  arrival  of 
three  new  ordained  missionaries  from  the  last  class  at  Auburn.  The 
literary  class  oppose,  for  their  “craft  is  in  danger  to  be  set  at  naught,” 
but  there  is  a  party  of  progress  and  of  toleration,  that  holds  control 
of  the  central  government,  and  with  the  moral  support  of  Christian 
nations,  the  way  seems  open  for  the  free  diffusion  of  the  gospel  in  the 
Empire. 

HAWAIIAN  ISLANDS  AND  MICRONESIA. 

The  year  has  been  one  of  substantial  progress  in  the  Hawaiian 
Islands.  More  pastors  *liave  been  settled  ;  the  native  ministry  have 
been  growing  in  the  estimation  of  their  flocks  and  of  the  missionaries; 
discipline  has  been  faithfully  administered  in  most  of  the  churches ; 
the  interests  of  education  have  been  better  cared  for;  greater  sense  of 
responsibility  for  the  advancement  of  the  cause  of  Christ  has  been 
shown  in  more  generous  contributions  to  Christian  objects,  and  in  the 
devotion  of  five  young  men  and  their  wives  to  the  foreign  work  ;  and 
though  no  general  revival  of  religious  interest  has  been  enjoyed,  more 
than  eight  hundred  members  have  been  added  to  the  churches  on  pro¬ 
fession  of  faith. 

Ttiere  are  now  fifty-six  churches  connected  with  the  Hawaiian 
Evangelical  Association,  in  which  have  been  enrolled,  from  the  first, 
67,600  members.  A  recent  careful  revision  of  church  records  gives 
the  present  membership  as  12,497,  a  reduction  on  last  year’s  lists  of 


10 


nearly  5,000,  notwithstanding  the  additions  of  the  year.  The  reduction, 
now  taken  note  of,  had  been  going  on  for  several  years,  and  marks 
in  part  the  great  decline  of  the  Hawaiian  population  of  the  Islands. 

The  contributions  made  to  the  Hawaiian  Board  for  missionary 
objects,  home  and  foreign,  amounted  to  S  9,4G2.94,  the  largest  sum 
ever  reported,  an  advance  of  over  $  3,000  upon  last  year.  The 
native  churches  are  no  charge  upon  mission  funds  beyond  the  support 
of  the  small  number  of  missionaries  who  still  have  pastoral  care. 
The  whole  amount  given  for  Christian  objects,  the  past  year,  was 
$  29,386  in  gold. 

Aside  from  their  own  wants,  a  lively  interest  has  been  felt  by  the 
island  churches  in  the  Chinese  immigrants,  now  numbering  over 
1,300,  and  Mr.  S.  P.  Aheong,  a  native  Chinaman,  well  qualified  for 
the  work,  has  been  employed  in  labor  among  them  by  the  Hawaiian 
Board.  The  good  conduct  of  the  Chinese,  their  interest  in  Christian¬ 
ity,  and  generous  liberality  in  support  of  Christian  institutions,  have 
excited  no  little  surprise. 

Though  the  system  of  popular  education  fails  in  some  respects  to 
secure  the  best  results,  the  higher  schools  and  seminaries  are  well 
sustained.  Nineteen  different  works,  in  six  different  languages,  have 
been  printed  at  the  Islands,  with  a  total  of  more  than  two  millions  of 
pages,  to  supply  the  wants  of  the  Islands  and  their  foreign  mission 
stations. 

Twelve  different  islands  in  the  Marquesas  group  and  in  Micronesia 
are  embraced  in  the  foreign  work  of  the  Hawaiian  Board,  and  furnish 
scope  for  the  missionary  zeal  of  the  native  churches,  and  delightful 
evidence  of  the  reality  of  the  Christian  work  among  them.  Another 
illustration  of  the  condition  of  the  work  in  the  Hawaiian  Islands  was 
to  be  seen  in  the  late  meeting  of  the  Hawaiian  Evangelical  Association, 
composed  of  missionaries,  native  pastors,  and  delegates  from  the 
native  churches  ; — its  deliberations  presided  oyer  by  a  native  Hawaiian 
as  Moderator,  and  its  records  kept  in  the  native  language  by  two 
Secretaries,  one  a  missionary  and  the  other  an  Hawaiian  pastor. 

NORTH  AMERICAN  INDIANS. 

The  Committee  rejoice  in  the  endeavors  of  the  present  Administra¬ 
tion  to  place  the  Department  of  Indian  Affairs  upon  a  better  footing. 
It  is  with  peculiar  satisfaction  that  they  have  seen  the  readiness  with 
which  disinterested  and  benevolent  gentlemen  have  consented  to  visit 
different  tribes  of  Indians,  in  order  to  the  preservation  of  peace 
between  the  stronger  and  the  weaker  races,  as  also  to  the  introduction 
of  civilization  among  the  latter.  It  is  to  be  regretted,  however,  that 
no  Commissioners  have  been  sent  as  yet  to  the  Dakotas.  They  are  a 
numerous  tribe  ;  and  while  some  of  the  bands, — the  Santees  especial¬ 
ly,— are  anxious  to  abide  in  relations  of  amity  with  the  United  States 


11 


Government,  there  arc  others,  far  away  from  all  Christian  influences, 
most  of  them,  indeed,  having  never  heard  the  gospel,  whose  friendly 
disposition  is  by  no  means  certain.  There  are  questions  of  policy, 
moreover,  which  have  an  important  bearing  upon  the  public  treasury, 
as  also  upon  the  progressive  advancement  of  this  people. 

Among  the  Dakotas  in  whose  behalf  our  missionaries  are  laboring, 
the  year  has  been  one  of  prosperity.  Fifty-seven  persons  have  pro¬ 
fessed  their  faith  in  the  Saviour  for  the  first  time,  and  the  whole  num¬ 
ber  of  communicants  is  six  hundred  and  eighteen.  The  missionaries 
are  assisted  in  their  work  by  four  native  pastors,  and  four  native 
licentiates.  A  new  station  has  been  commenced  at  the  Yankton 
Agency,  by  Mr.  J.  P.  Williamson,  in  order  that  he  may  reach  a  large 
body  of  Indians  who  have  never  before  had  a  resident  missionary 
among  them.  Our  brethren  are  desirous  of  commencing  operations 
at  other  points ;  and  it  is  presumed  that  they  will  do  so  at  an  early 
day.  The  need  is  urgent.  The  Dakotas  are  supposed  to  exceed 
of), 000,  four-fifths  of  whom,  have  never  heard  the  gospel. 

Among  the  Senecas  there  has  been  a  degree  of  interest  in  advancing 
the  kingdom  of  Christ  which  might,  perhaps,  be  called  a  revival  ;  and 
a  few  have  joined  the  church  by  professing  their  faith  in  the  Saviour. 
In  other  respects,  especially  among  the  Cattaraugus  Indians,  there  has 
been  gratifying  progress.  Rev.  George  Ford,  formerly  of  the  Madura 
mission,  has  consented  to  take  charge  of  Lower  Cattaraugus.  He 
entered  his  new  field  last  spring. 

CONCLUSION. 

The  special  blessing  of  God  in  replenishing  an  exhausted  treasury  ; 
the  large  number  of  new  laborers  who  have  entered  upon  the  work  ; 
the  results  of  the  year  abroad ;  may  well  fill  our  hearts  with  new 
hope  and  courage  as  we  enter  upon  another  year. 

The  grand  work  goes  on.  At  more  than  six  hundred  centres  in  all 
parts  of  the  globe,  three  hundred  and  fifty  devoted  men  and  women 
from  our  churches,  aided  by  nearly  a  thousand  native  preachers  and 
teachers,  are  proclaiming,  in  twenty  different  languages,  the  gospel  of 
Christ.  As  we  note  our  missionary  stations,  among  different  popula¬ 
tions  of  the  Turkish  Empire, — the  Bulgarians,  Armenians,  Turks, 
Koords,  and  the  great  Arab  race  ;  among  the  Zulu-Kafirs  of  Africa  ; 
the  Mahratta  and  Tamil  races  of  India  and  Ceylon,  and  the  millions 
of  Northern  and  Southern  China,  we  shall  find  that  not  less  than  half 
the  human  race  are  in  the  way  to  be  reached,  directly  or  indirectly, 
by  the  representatives  of  the  American  Board,  and  that  it  is  no 
extravagance  to  say,  that  a  hundred  millions  of  our  fellow  men, — 
now  made  our  neighbors  through  the  marvelous  facilities  of  commer¬ 
cial  intercourse, — are  to-day  dependent  upon  us  for  the  word  of  life 
and  the  benign  influences  of  a  Christian  civilization.  Do  our  churches 


12 


realize  the  greatness  of  the  work,  and  the  solemn  responsibilities  of 
the  liour  ? 

New  centres  of  influence  have  been  taken,  new  churches  organized, 
new  pastors  ordained  ;  a  larger  number  of  native  youth  of  both 
sexes  are  in  training  for  Cliristian  work  ;  more  and  more  of  the 
native  churches  are  becoming  independent  of  our  aid,  and  assuming 
their  proper  responsibility  for  the  support  of  tlie  gospel  and  its  diffusion 
abroad  ;  and,  more  tlian  all,  tlie  good  work  everywdiere  accomplished 
— a  work  no  figures  can  measure — is  to  be  found  in  the  vast  prepara¬ 
tion  of  the  popular  mind  for  the  reception  of  the  truth  ;  the  despair 
of  the  received  faiths,  the  conviction  that  the  truth  is  with  us,  and 
must  prevail,  the  undermining  and  sapping  of  the  very  foundations 
of  error  and  superstition.  Never  before  were  there  such  motives  for 
consecration  to  the  work  of  Cbrist,  for  earnest  and  well  directed 
efforts  to  complete  the  work  begun,  and  never  before  such  occasion 
for  earnest  and  prevailing  prayer  on  the  part  of  all  who  look  for  the 
triumph  of  the  kingdom  of  Christ  in  the  earth. 


GENERAL  SUMMARY. 
Missions. 


Number  of  Missions, . 18 

“  “  Stations,  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .102 

“  “  Out-stations, . .  .  .  .639 


I 


Laborers  Employed. 

Number  of  Ordained  Missionaries  (3  being  Physicians), 145 
“  “  Physicians  not  ordained,  ....  7 

“  “  Other  Male  Assistants,  ....  4 

“  “  Female  Assistants,  .....  196 

Whole  number  of  lat)orers  sent  from  this  country,  ,  - 352 

Number  of  Native  Pastors,  .....  106 

“  *•  Native  Preaci.ers  and  Catechists,  .  .  285 

“  “  IScnool  'f  -  acne>s,  .....  366 

“  “  Otner  Native  Helpers,  ....  224 — 981 


Whole  number  of  laborers  connected  with  the  Missions, 


•1,333 


The  Press. 


Pages  printed,  as  far  as  reported. 


.  15,957,641 


The  Churches. 

Number  of  Churches,  (including  all  at  the  Hawaiian  Islands,)  . 

“  “  Church  Members,  (do.  do.)  so  lar  as  reported. 

Added  during  the  year,  (do.  do.)^ . 

Educational  Department, 

Number  of  Training  and  Theological  Schools,  .... 

“  Other  Boarding  Schools, . 

“  Free  Schools,  (omitting  those  at  Hawaiian  Islands,) 

“  Pupils  in  Free  Schools,  (omitting  those  at  H.  I.)  13,479 
“  “  “  Training  and  Tneological  Schools,  486 

“  “  “  Boarding  Schools,  .  .  688 

Whole  number  of  Pupils, . . 


U 

n 


ii 


229 

20,788 

1,608 


16 

19 

.  478 


15,491 


